In The Tempest
by Sense Of Luck
Summary: Roy and Ed are sent out on a mission undercover, but when it goes wrong, Ed is forced to rely on his own strength to survive as Roy rushes to save him in time. Parental!RoyEd, some Royai. Rated for graphic violence and language. [ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO PERSONAL LIFE]
1. Welcome to Clearlake

**A/N:** _I got this idea while sitting in my multimedia class. It took me a while to write it because I wanted to try to get a general plot out before I did anything. We'll see how this goes. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

The summer sun was hot on Ed's back as he stopped on the steps of Central Command. Hawkeyes continued past him, likely to give some last words of advice to her commanding officer waiting in the car below. "I'll only be gone a little while." Ed said, knocking his fist against his brother's armor. "Just for this mission."

Al nodded, making a sound of agreement. "While you're gone, I'll see what research I can find. But call me if you can, okay?"

"I'll try, Al. But you know we're going in undercover. No one will know we're military, hence the civilian clothes." Ed grinned, tapping his knuckles on Al once more. "But I'll try."

"And don't forget to keep up with your automail maintenance!"

"Okay, okay."

A gentle hand on his shoulder made him turn, and Riza looked down at him. "Edward, do me a favor and keep the Colonel out of trouble." She said, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

Ed nodded. "Sure, Lieutenant." Behind them, a car honked noisily. Both blondes turned and looked at Mustang, sitting impatiently in his car. He honked the horn again, watching them from the window.

"Gotta go, Lieutenant." Edward groaned. "Mustang's gonna throw a fit if I keep him waiting any longer."

"Go on, then." Riza nodded, and gave the boy a nudge. Ed trotted down the steps, clambering noisily into the passenger seat of the car.

"BYE AL!" He shouted, waving out the window. Roy pressed down on the gas pedal and the car lurched forward. "Hey, watch it!" Ed snapped as he was almost tossed out. "We haven't even started the mission and I've already almost died!"

"Then sit down and buckle up, Fullmetal. No time to waste." Roy shot back, not bothering to look at him.

"BYE BROTHER! BYE COLONEL!" Al yelled back, waving frantically. Beside him, Hawkeye had her arm raised in a salute as they sped off.

Ed grumbled to himself as he settled down in his seat, flicking his braid over his shoulder. The car was cooler than the hot air outside, so he couldn't help a small sigh. "So what's the story?" He asked, kicking his feet up as he leaned back.

"Feet down, Fullmetal." Mustang ordered, casting a glance at him out of the corner of his eye. "Weren't you listening when I explained this to you?" When Ed just shrugged, he heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Murders. Out in some city named Clearlake. Probably the work of one serial killer, but they can't find the guy, so here we are."

"We aren't the police." Ed said sourly.

Roy sighed again. "I _know_ , but orders are orders. Shouldn't be too hard, anyways. Then you can get back to your brother." Silence fell. Neither of them spoke as the scenery flew by. Cityscape turned to bright green hills, then to browning fields. It reminded Ed of the train rides to Resembool.

"Do we have a cover?" Ed asked suddenly, surprising Mustang. "Our cover story, I mean. Don't they usually give us covers for missions like this?"

Roy paused, navigating around a pothole in the street. "…Yes, of course we do."

"Okay…" Ed dragged out the word, watching his superior quizzically. "And are you gonna, I dunno, tell me?"

"I was going to tell you when we got closer." Roy said casually. "But I suppose there's no use waiting." Ed stayed silent, waiting for his answer. Seconds ticked by before Mustang sighed once more. "Our cover is that we're in town visiting a friend of ours – that would be the military's informant, planted in the city."

"Okay." Ed said, nodding. "Simple enough."

"And you're my son."

A second passed.

" _EXCUSE ME_?" Ed exploded. "No way! I can't pass myself off as your son! I don't look anything like you! And I don't even want to _be_ your son!"

"Fullmetal, quiet down!" Roy barked. "I don't like it anymore than you do! But we'll say that you take after your mother, okay? We have to make it work, since that's what was given to us."

Ed ground his teeth together, seething. He didn't speak, but rather he glared at Mustang for the next hour. The nature scenery faded away as they got into a city. Ed had slumped down in his seat, unhappy with the entire situation.

Mustang parked the car outside of some restaurant. "Out, Fullme – Ed." He said, putting enunciation on his name. Straight into their roles, then. "We're meeting our friend inside."

"Good. I'm starving." Edward groaned as he slid from his seat. His stomach made a loud noise of agreement. The blonde trailed after Roy, hands shoved sullenly into his pockets.

Once inside, the scent of food immediately had Ed's attention. His stomach growled again as a waiter walked past with a tray of food. His mouth watered at the sight of cooked meat, but his attention was quickly diverted to a man striding towards them with his arms outstretched.

"Ah! Roy!" He cried joyfully, as if greeting an old friend. "Welcome to Clearlake, my friend!"

Roy smiled widely and accepted the man's embrace somewhat stiffly, and Ed hid a snicker beneath his hand. Mustang took a hold of Ed's arm tightly and pulled him forward. "I've told you about my son Edward. Ed, this is Leopold Cormack, the friend I told you about."

"You didn't tell me much." Ed mumbled under his breath with a sideways glance at Mustang.

Leopold didn't seem to hear, and instead ruffled Ed's hair. "Ah, Edward, of course! Roy told me all about you! Come, both of you, sit and eat. I've already ordered, I'm afraid, but if you want we can get more." He led the pair to a table in the corner, laden with food.

Ed perked up at the sight, sitting down eagerly and grabbing a chicken leg. Roy settled more gracefully, picking at some salad as he eyed Leopold interestedly.

Leopold didn't take long to begin talking again. "Where's Edward's mother?"

"Unfortunately, Elizabeth had to stay home." Roy answered smoothly. "She sends her regards."

The other man nodded in understanding. "Will you be staying at my house, Roy? There's plenty of room."

"No." Roy shook his head. "I've booked us a hotel room already. Thanks for the offer, though."

Leopold nodded. "You've picked a hell of a time to visit me, my friend."

"Oh?" Roy feigned mild interest. "Why's that?"

The other man glanced about before leaning in. "Murders, Roy. Plenty of them, too. All lovely young people, they go missing and then they're found dead. Disfigured in some way, usually."

Ed paused in his enthusiastic eating, looking up at his commanding officer. Mustang had a look of shock, but Ed could see his eyes burning. Rightly so, too. Whoever was doing this was obviously a sick human being. With a slight knot in his stomach, Edward kept eating, staying out of the "adult" conversation but still getting information.

A shadow over the table had all three of them looking up. A woman stood there, smiling at them. "Hello, Mr. Cormack." She said cheerily. "Some new faces, too – are these your friends?"

Leopold smiled back, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Ah, of course, Annie. Um, this here is my friend Roy, and his son Edward. They're here to visit for a few weeks!" His blush grew as Annie moved closer. Ed and Roy glanced at each other, eyebrows raised.

Annie's smile grew. "Oh, hello! Welcome to Clearlake!" Her eyes found Ed. "Can I ask how old you are?" She asked. He swallowed his food and began to answer, but Roy cut him off quickly.

"He's thirteen." Roy responded with a small smile.

Ed froze, almost inhaling his chicken, shock and then rage coloring his face. He ducked his head as if he were shy, while he gritted his teeth and tried his hardest not to kick Mustang. Annie didn't seem to notice.

"Really? How cute." She bubbled. "You must be so excited to see a new place, then, huh?" Ed twitched, but didn't dare move more. She then noticed his automail hand, not hidden by his usual gloves. "What happened to you, sweetie?"

"Accident." Ed managed to choke out without sounding too angry. "A long time ago."

"I see. Well I won't bother you much longer." Annie said with a sympathetic look at the boy. Then the woman touched Leopold's shoulder. "Well, I hope you two enjoy your stay. Have a lovely day, you two. You as well, Mr. Cormack." And then she breezed off as quick as she'd come.

Leopold didn't seem to notice that he was staring after her, and Ed might've enjoyed a little bit of teasing despite hardly knowing the man. However, Ed was much more interested in being utterly annoyed with Mustang. He glared harshly at the man, who only gave him a warning look and took a bite of his food.

Edward scowled fiercely, and took out his frustrations on the chicken leg in his hand. Thirteen? Really? He didn't even look thirteen! Ed's scowl deepened as he chewed. He waited for Roy and Leopold to start talking about the murders again, but after Annie's interruption it seemed they were reluctant to bring it up again in such an open place, regardless of their cover. They talked about trivial things, reliving memories that had never really happened and reviving a made-up friendship.

Ed didn't say much, still stewing in his irritation with Mustang. He thought he was so funny, didn't he? Calling Ed thirteen… Ed didn't look anything less than the fifteen-year-old boy that he was. He was clearly not thirteen. So why would Mustang say thirteen? Obviously it was to annoy him…

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. Roy was standing, and so was Leopold. "Time to go, Ed." He said amiably, with a look that clearly said Edward had better get his ass into the car immediately.

Ed huffed and stood. "Bye, Mr. Cormack." He mumbled as he slid past Roy and hurried out the doors. The sun had set during their time in there. It was only a few seconds later that Roy exited the building also, getting in the car and starting it silently.

Edward turned in his seat, crossing his arms and just _glaring_ daggers at his commanding officer. "What the hell, Mustang?" He demanded. "Why would you say I'm thirteen?"

"Do I look old enough to be a father to a fifteen-year-old, Edward?" Roy asked calmly. "Thirteen is still pretty old. I can stretch it and say I'm thirty three."

"I don't even look thirteen!"

"You're small enough to be."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE CAN'T EVEN PASS HIMSELF OFF AS A GROWTH-STUNTED TODDLER?"

"You certainly act the part, Fullmetal." Roy commented lightly, smirking. Ed screeched in incomprehensible rage.

* * *

The hotel room was nice enough. There was a single bedroom with two beds, and a sitting space with two couches and a small table. Ed tossed his bag on the ground by the nearest bed and flopped down into it with a groan.

Roy sat down on the other bed. "Bed time already?" He teased.

Ed couldn't take the effort of turning his head to glare, and settled for muffled swearing. "I'm _tired_ , Mustang – "

"Dad." Roy interrupted. "It won't do if you call me by my name, Ed. I'm playing your father, so for now I'm 'Dad'."

Ed lifted his head to snarl at him. "Whatever, _Dad_ , I'm tired and I'm going to sleep!" Ed rolled over and curled up, kicking off his boots. "I don't plan on calling you 'Dad', Mustang." He growled. "But I won't use your name, okay?"

"Fair enough. You don't have to use it unless you need to, like when you need to get my attention." Roy allowed. Ed grunted and pulled the blankets over his head. He wondered if Al was doing okay in Central by himself. It wasn't often that the brothers were separated like this, although it was sometimes necessary for missions such as this one. Ed exhaled into his pillow. With any luck, this mission would be simple and straightforward, and it would be done and over with in no time.

He cracked a smile. Wouldn't that be a nice change of pace?

* * *

 **A/N:** _And there's chapter one! The next chapter should get the ball rolling as they get more into their mission. I'm sorry if anyone was OOC, I know Ed was overreacting. But he tends to do that in regards to his height and age. Thank you for reading! Reviews are **very** appreciated!_


	2. Downward and Onward

**A/N:** _Oh boy, this one took me a while to write. I did want to post this chapter sooner, but I pretty much scrapped almost my entire plotline for this story except for a few plot points. So it took longer than I expected to write this. Anyways, here it is now, I hope you guys like it! Thank you for all the reviews!_

* * *

 _It was so dark. The darkness was all around him, threatening to drown him. Voices whispered as he turned around and around, desperate to find a light, an escape._

 _"Al!" Ed called. "Alphonse!" Something brushed against his leg. He turned with a gasp, looking around wildly, but nothing was there._

 _Nothing he could see, anyways._

 _A hand grabbed at his wrist and Ed gasped, his heart pounding. He jerked his arm away from whatever was there and backed up quickly, struggling to see anything._

" _Ed…ward…" A painfully familiar voice echoed somewhere off to his right. "Big… brother… Ed…"_

 _Ed's eyes were impossibly wide as he scrambled backwards. "Nina…" He whispered. "Nina, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." There was no answer, just a hollow clang of metal. Another clang and then Ed felt a cold metal hand grab at his own._

" _Brother…" That was Al's voice. "Brother… I-I can't feel you… why, Brother? Did you hate me? Why would you do this to me? Why would you do this to us?"_

 _Ed let out a cry of anguish. "A-Al! I didn't – I didn't mean –" He cut himself off, tears threatening to fall. Something squelched behind him, and then the room was flooded with blinding white. In front of him was a horribly familiar door. The Gate stood tall and silent, taunting him. Truth's laughter echoed on the invisible walls, the eternal nothingness surrounding him, choking him,_ crushing _him._

" _Edward." His mother's sweet voice had him turning, and a strangled sound ripped from his throat. There it was. The twisted, deformed being that he and Alphonse had created. This half-formed, bloodied mess of decaying flesh and dead eyes. One grotesque arm stretched out, reaching for him. It wheezed, and his mother's voice floated towards him. "Why do you hurt people?"_

 _And then he was falling, and a river of blood fell with him._

Edward woke with a gasp, bolting upright. His hair clung to his sweaty face, and the sheets were tangled around his legs. His chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, to remember where he was. To his left, he heard a muffled groan, and everything fell into place.

Right. He was on a mission with Mustang.

His erratic heartbeat thundered in his ears as he swallowed thickly, choking a little on a whimper. He laid back on his side, facing away from Mustang, a hand over his mouth to suppress any sound. The light flicked on, and he heard Roy shuffling.

"…Fullmetal?" Roy's voice, raspy from sleep, drifted from the other bed. "Ed?"

Edward didn't dare respond. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and he stubbornly held them back. He wouldn't cry. Especially not in front of Roy Mustang. There was the creak of a mattress as Roy stood. Quiet footsteps halted at the foot of Ed's bed.

"Hey, Fullmetal, you alright?" Mustang asked. "What happened?" When he received no answer, Roy moved a little bit closer to the younger alchemist. "Ed? You okay?"

Edward squeezed his eyes shut. "Mm-hm." He managed to get out that much. Maybe now Roy would be satisfied and go back to sleep.

No luck. The man persisted. "Are you sure?"

"Mm-hm."

"…Do you want some water or something?"

Ed swallowed hard, wishing desperately that Mustang would just go back to bed. "No." He whispered to the wall.

"What?" Roy asked, unable to hear the whisper.

"N-no." Ed repeated, voice breaking a little despite his best efforts. He felt despair wash over him and he struggled to not start shaking. Embarrassment now added to his inner turmoil, and his face burned as Roy strode around the bed and turned Ed over forcefully. Upon seeing the boy's red, upset expression, Roy's look of frustrated curiosity turned into plain worry.

"Ed, what's wrong?" He asked, and Edward hated the concern in the man's tone.

"N-nothing, it's just a stupid dream." Ed snapped, pushing Mustang away and sitting up. "Go away Mustang." He grunted. Roy hesitated, but then Ed felt the mattress dip as he sat on the edge. "What are you doing?" Ed asked irritably, rubbing his eyes furiously. A gentle hand on his head made him look up in shock. Roy was watching him carefully, gauging his reaction. His hand stroked over Ed's blonde hair. "Wh-what are you doin'?" Edward repeated, even as he didn't do a thing to stop him.

Roy kept rubbing his head. "It's just a dream, Ed. Whatever it was."

"I _know_ that, you idiot." Ed grumbled.

"Fullmetal, I'm trying to comfort you, so shut up for a moment and just listen to me for once." Mustang said, exasperated. Ed stayed silent, noticing that his frantic heartbeat had steadied again. Roy went on. "If… if you wanted to talk about your dream, I'll listen. I won't make fun of you. I won't interrupt. Just… if you feel like talking, I'm, you know, I'm here."

Silence. After a few moments, Roy stood and turned back towards his own bed, reaching for the light switch.

"I saw Mom." Ed murmured. Roy's hand stilled, hanging in the air near the switch. "And Al. And I heard Nina." Edward's voice trembled slightly. "I just… I keep hurting the people I love, and I don't know how to fix everything. It gets to me sometimes." His voice hitched, and he had to stop talking.

Roy waited a moment. When it seemed Ed wouldn't speak again, he stepped closer to the bed again. "It's okay for it to get to you. But know that it's not your fault, Edward." He said softly. "Nina… that was her father's doing. Your mother and Al… they don't blame you either. No one blames you, Ed. And you're trying to fix things, and that's what really matters."

Roy likely wasn't implying anything, but Ed still couldn't help but notice that he didn't say that Al and his mother wasn't his fault either. Regardless, his words were kind, even if they did nothing to soothe the guilt racking through him.

After the prolonged silence, Edward shifted so that he was facing Mustang, but kept his eyes glued to the blankets. "Thanks." He said softly, his face red with embarrassment. "Don't tell anyone about this, either."

Roy chuckled and flipped off the light. "No problem, kid. Now get some sleep, or it's going to be hell tomorrow."

Ed flopped back under his covers with a heavy sigh. "I'm not a kid." He muttered into his pillow.

* * *

"Ugh, I feel like hell." Ed grumbled, rubbing at his eyes furiously. The morning sun was far too bright for his still-tired eyes, and the eager chatter of birds and people outside had him ready to lash out.

"Well, it's time to get to work. Leopold said he would join us later. He's having breakfast with that Annie woman." Roy replied, looking no better than him. The man yawned widely. "Although how we're supposed to get any information is a mystery. I suppose we could just ask around."

"Yeah, not suspicious at all."

Mustang shot him a glance. "Your hair's a mess." He pointed out.

Ed scowled and yanked out his hair tie to redo his braid. The little café Roy had picked for their breakfast was filled with people, but everyone was too tired or hungry to carry out conversations, leaving the entire room blanketed in a hushed quiet. A welcome respite from the cacophony outside. Ed had a pile of bacon and an egg in front of him, while Roy had only a large muffin.

Their meal was eaten mostly in silence, both alchemists stewing over their own thoughts. Edward, for his part, worried over his brother and hoped that this would be over soon so he could return to him. Soon enough, Ed had finished off his food and waited impatiently for Roy to read the newspaper and pick at his muffin.

"If you're not gonna eat it, why'd you order it?" Ed complained as the minutes ticked by.

Roy didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the jingle of the café's door opening. An older man slunk through the door, taking the empty seat at the table nearest to theirs. Ed feigned interest in something outside, while watching Roy through the reflection.

"Good morning." The older man said in a gruff tone. Roy responded in kind, keeping a friendly smile on his face. "Anything good in there?" The other man asked, nodding towards Roy's newspaper.

Mustang set it down, tapping his fingers on it lightly. "Nothing particularly interesting." He said. "Although I do hope they catch this killer soon."

"Sure." The man grunted. "In the mean time, I'd keep a wary eye out. 'Specially your boy, there."

Ed could feel Roy's eyes on him. The younger alchemist kept his eyes pointed out the window, though his ears stayed trained on the conversation. After a beat of silence, Roy spoke again.

"Why do you say that?" He asked conversationally. The man didn't respond right away, instead looking to Edward.

"Hey, kid." He called out in a louder tone. "How old are you?"

Finally Ed tore his gaze from the window and looked at the man. "I'm –" He felt a sharp kick on his shin under the table. "– thirteen." He answered, shooting a warning glance at Mustang from the corner of his eye.

"Thirteen, eh?" The man mumbled under his breath. "Yeah, a bit young, but still around the age…"

"Sir?" Roy prompted again.

"Sorry, I'd love to tell you, but it's a bit sensitive for young ears." The man shrugged. "Gory bits, and all."

Mustang nodded. "I see." Turning to Ed, he smiled. "Edward, since you're finished eating, will you go run to the room and call your mother? I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. Make sure she knows we got here safely."

Ed glared at him. "But –"

"Now, please." Roy's tone was firm, and his eyes dared him to protest again. Edward nodded grudgingly, scooting his chair out so he could stand.

"Fine." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. As soon as he stepped outside, he growled. "Damn it, Mustang." He muttered to himself, crossing the street. The air was already warming up, despite the coldness of the previous night, and Ed shrugged out of his sweater when he got to the room, tossing it onto his bed. Stretching a bit and yawning, he sauntered to the phone and dialed in the number for Central Headquarters. After giving his verification code, he was connected to Mustang's office.

As expected, Hawkeye answered. "Hello, this is Lieu –"

"Hi M-Mom!" Ed interrupted her formal greeting hastily, stumbling a bit over the word "mom". He wasn't sure if it was safe to talk about the mission yet. The phone lines could be tapped. "It's Ed!"

Luckily, Riza Hawkeye was a sharp woman. "Oh, Edward!" She crooned over the phone, her tone softer than normal. "I was hoping you'd call." Ed could almost hear her motioning for Fuery to secure the line. "Did you and your father get to the city alright?"

"Yep!" Ed chirped, hating himself and hating his cover even more. "He's still eating breakfast down at the café though."

"Oh? And where are you calling from?"

"The hotel room." Ed answered.

No answer for a moment. "Okay, Edward, the line's secure. Are you okay to talk on your end?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." Ed answered, leaning on the table in front of him. "Mustang's down at the café we were eating at, trying to get some information from a guy in there."

"Is everything okay?"

"Mm-hm." Ed asked. "The Colonel's fine. Irritating as always. How's Al?"

"He's doing just fine. He's out walking Black Hayate for me right now. Edward, was there a specific reason to call me?"

Ed shrugged before remembering she couldn't see him. "I'm not sure. The Colonel told me to call you, but that could've just been an excuse to get me out of the café. The guy was a bit tight-lipped with me around. But I didn't wanna risk it, so I thought I'd call you anyway." Edward ground his teeth. "He's got me playing a _thirteen-year-old_. Thirteen!"

He could swear he heard a soft chuckle through the phone. "It's just for the mission." She reminded him.

"I _know_ , but still." Ed groaned dramatically into the receiver. The door to the hotel room opened and Roy came in, glancing at him. "Oh, he's back. And with three different girls, too."

Mustang glared at him and Riza sighed on the other end of the line. "I am _not,_ Lieutenant!" Roy called out, nearing the phone. "Give that to me, Fullmetal."

"No." Ed stated and turned around. "Anyways, Hawkeye, I guess I'd better go before Colonel Wet Match blows a gasket."

Roy's eyes burned a hole in the back of his head as Hawkeye sighed again. "Please refrain from exasperating each other." She told him. "Be careful, Edward."

"I will. Bye." Ed hung up and turned back around to grin widely at his commanding officer. "So, get any good stuff?"

Mustang looked like he might try to smother Ed to death with a pillow. "Why did you have to tell her I had three girls with me?"

"To mess with you, of course. You get riled up. Don't worry, I'm sure she knows." Ed's grin widened. "Besides, everyone knows your heart belongs to the Lieutenant."

Roy's eyes narrowed into slits. "You've been talking to Hughes, haven't you?"

"Maybe. So, Colonel. What did the guy say?"

Mustang pressed his lips into a thin line, thoroughly unimpressed with Ed's antics. "The man said that the killer targets younger people. Teenagers and young adults, mostly. So you be careful."

"Eh, I'm always careful."

"I _mean_ it, Edward." Roy's glare intensified. "Do not take unnecessary risks." When Ed just waved a hand, he growled, but continued. "They mostly disappear from the edges of town, so I guess our day is gonna be one hell of a walk."

"What, seriously? We're gonna just walk the entire perimeter of the city?" Edward stared at him like he'd suddenly proclaimed a love for rain. "Isn't that a little excessive?"

"Got any other ideas, Fullmetal, because I'd love to hear them." Roy rubbed his eyes. "I don't like this either, but it's all we've got right now. Leopold's not supposed to meet with us until around lunch, so if we head out now we can make good time."

"How? By sprinting at the speed of light?"

"Oh, calm down. Clearlake isn't actually that big." Ed only stared at him, and Roy sighed. "Okay, how about this. We go to the last place a body was found, and search there. Then the place before that. And so on, got it?"

"Fine." Ed grumbled. "Suppose I'm not getting out of a walk either way."

"No, you aren't."

* * *

Two hours of walking, complaining, and absolutely no clues later, Edward collapsed against a large rock.

"I can't go on." He moaned. "It's hot and I'm tired." He shuffled against his rock until his back was against it as he sat in what minimal shade it offered. Nearby, he could hear what sounded like rushing water. A river, maybe? The thought of sitting in cool water seemed pretty appealing to him.

Roy stopped and turned back to watch his subordinate. "Well that's not going to help anything." He scolded lightly. "C'mon, Ed, it's not that bad."

"We've been walking for _DAYS._ " Ed wailed dramatically. "I don't have the strength."

"Oh please." Roy scoffed, walking back to him. "Just a bit longer, and then we'll go meet Leopold for lunch."

Ed squinted past his superior. "Hey, isn't that him?" Sure enough, Leopold was poking at something on the ground a short distance away. "Hey!" Ed shouted as Roy turned to look. "Hello!"

The man jumped in surprise, but visibly relaxed upon seeing them. "Oh, Roy! Ed! Good to see you both!" Leopold jogged over. "What are you two doing here?"

"What are we doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Edward blew his bangs away from his face. "Weren't you supposed to be eating breakfast or something?"

Leopold shifted his weight. "Ah, yes. But Annie wasn't feeling well this morning, so she stayed home. I thought you two would have plans, so I didn't call." He shrugged and scratched his nose lightly.

"Please do so in the future." Roy instructed him. Before the other man could apologize, he shook his head. "It's fine, just next time." He smiled quickly before looking back to Ed. "Edward and I were looking at all the places bodies were found."

"I was doing the same." Leopold said. "It's actually what I was going to suggest at lunch."

"No sense in us doing it alone now." Mustang shrugged. "We haven't been very successful on our own."

Ed slumped further down. "That's an understatement." He mumbled. Then he straightened up, pulling himself to his feet. "We've been walking for two whole hours and we haven't found a single th –" His sentence was cut off by a blood-curdling scream ripping through the air, instantly followed by a loud _BANG_. The hair on the back of Ed's neck stood on end as the young alchemist jumped in fright. Half a second later, and he was vaulting over his rock and racing towards the sound.

"Ed, wait! Edward!" He ignored Mustang's shouts for him to stop, to slow down. Someone needed help, damn it, and he wasn't going to leave them on their own.

Rocks crunched underfoot as he skidded around the corner of some old-looking building, and nearly fell over as he tried to stop immediately. Not five feet away lay the limp form of a young woman, blood seeping from a small hole in her head. The crimson dripped down to form tiny rivers on the gravel underneath her, and Ed couldn't quite get out a strangled scream of horror.

Strong hands grabbed his arms and he flailed wildly on instinct, catching whoever held him with his metal foot.

" _SHIT_ , Fullmetal! Calm down!" Ed stilled as Roy's voice registered in his mind. The Colonel took a firmer hold of the boy and pulled him back around the corner as Leopold rushed forward. He knelt down in front of him. "Edward, look at me. You with me?"

Ed's horrified eyes met with Roy's sternly calm ones. The girl's dead, macabre gaze played back in his mind, mingling with the resurfaced memory of the failed human transmutation and its own morbidly blank eyes, and he tried to swallow the unsettling image. Mustang snapped his fingers in front of him. "Y-yeah." He choked out. "Yeah, I'm with you."

Roy nodded. "Okay. Listen to me. That girl is dead. And there's blood, and I know that's nothing new to you, but I don't want you freaking out regardless, okay?"

Edward swallowed hard, bobbing his head in acknowledgement. "I won't freak out." He promised. "I just got… caught off-guard."

"Yeah." Roy stood back up as Leopold reemerged. "Doesn't the killer usually kidnap the victims first?"

Leopold nodded solemnly. "Yes. My guess is this one saw him coming, or something like that. Something went wrong, the girl screamed, which would have alerted anyone in the area and the killer had to shoot her before running off. Can't have her identifying him."

Mustang set his hand on Ed's shoulder, not looking away from Leopold. "I'll alert local police. Could you remain here and make sure no one comes back to hide the body?"

Leopold looked down at Ed's silent form, completely still under Roy's hand. "Yes, sir." He said. "You just get the kid out of here."

"I intend to." Roy answered without hesitation. Ed wasn't really going to argue about being called a kid right now. Not if it meant being away from the corpse of the unfortunate girl.

Too late. He'd been too late. They had been so close to both the killer and the victim. If they hadn't stopped, if they'd kept _walking_ …

"Sorry." He whispered, before allowing Roy to lead him away.

 _I'm so sorry._

* * *

 **A/N:** _Thanks for reading! I'm not certain how long this story will be yet. Next chapter should be up in roughly another week, depending on school and how fast I can write. I might write it from Roy's point of view. Most chapters will be from Ed's view, but a few of them will probably be from Roy's. Please review!_


	3. A Yellow Sky

**A/N:** _Thanks everyone for the reviews! In response to a review about Ed's reaction to the dead body in the previous chapter being a little OOC: This was actually a concern of mine, so I can see where you're coming from. My reasoning was that Ed was affected a little bit more from it since his nightmare the previous night had brought up quite a few unpleasant memories, thus resulting in his off-kilter behavior after seeing the body. :) If not for the nightmare, he probably could've been calmer, I agree. Thank you for pointing this out, because it gave me a chance to explain this further! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

"I think that both you and Edward are tired from last night." Hawkeye's voice filtered through the phone. "From what you told me, he was pretty shaken from his dream. He'll be fine, sir."

Roy ran a hand down his face, glancing back at the boy in question. Upon their return to the hotel room, Ed had mumbled something about sleep and then crashed on the couch, one leg hanging over the side lazily. Whether this was a result of the morning's activities or just part of Ed's odd sleep schedule, Roy wasn't sure.

"I hope so, Lieutenant." He murmured into the receiver. "I suppose I could just be nervous. It's been a while since I was out in the field like this."

He thought he heard her laugh softly. "Don't worry sir, when you get back there's a good stack of papers for you to sign." She said, her voice teasing and light-hearted. It was good to hear her relaxed like this. He spent too long hearing her scold him at work, or deliver curt sentences between extended silences. But Roy did love to hear Riza's voice, unrestrained and friendly. It could soothe him in any mood, could soften any aches he felt.

Of course, then he actually registered what she'd said, and his face twisted into a dejected expression. "Paperwork already?" He complained. "I've only been gone a day!"

"There's always paperwork, sir." Hawkeye reminded him gently. "I assure you, if you would do it without procrastinating it wouldn't seem like such a hard task." Roy could only groan as he imagined a labyrinth of paperwork inside his office. "Jokes aside, sir, you're right. It's been a while since you've done work like this. Do you need me to send any backup?"

"No, we can handle this, I'm sure. I'll let you know if that changes." Roy assured her. Behind him, he heard Ed begin to wake. The young alchemist was stretching out, yawning as he looked at Roy through half-lidded eyes.

"Well, he's waking now." Roy said to his lieutenant. "I should go."

"Of course, sir. Please be careful, and try not to aggravate him."

"Actually, you'll be pleased to hear that I've been controlling myself." Roy remarked proudly. He had indeed exercised a good deal of self-control over the past day. "Oh, I'm sure he was wondering about Alphonse earlier?"

"Yes, he asked me when he called. His brother's fine." Hawkeye reassured him. "Now, back to work, Colonel."

"Aren't I the one in charge?" He muttered, mostly to himself. Louder, he added, "Edward and I are going to meet with Leopold shortly, please keep the men in line in my absence."

"Always." Roy could hear a smile in her voice. "Goodbye, sir."

"Bye." He hung up and turned to his youngest subordinate. "Good nap, Fullmetal?"

Ed sat up, looking groggy and disoriented. "Did I hear you say we're meeting Leopold?" When Roy nodded, Ed yawned again. "Can we still do the lunch thing? I'm starving."

"When are you not?" Roy asked dryly. "How are you feeling?"

Edward waved his hand dismissively. "I'm _fine_. I already told you, I got caught off-guard. That's all."

Roy arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. Sure, the kid had been caught off-guard, but Roy also knew that Ed had a self-destructive habit of blaming himself. The nightmare probably hadn't helped, either. And he hadn't missed the guilty look on the boy's face. "You know it wasn't your fault, right? There wasn't anything we could've done."

Ed scowled at him, but a flash of guilt slipped past his mask. "I'm the one that stopped us, Mustang. I was the one complaining and stopping. We probably would've seen her, and it could've ended differently."

"Or we could've gotten hurt." Roy reminded him. "Regardless, "could've" and "probably" doesn't change what happened. But it wasn't your fault, Ed."

Edward stood up, tugging at his now-mussed hair. "Whatever, Colonel. Let's just get to lunch." He marched past and into the bathroom, his metal foot clinking loudly on the tiles. Roy watched him go, shaking his head. That kid beat himself up far too often. He took enough beatings as it was from his own missions, he didn't need them from himself as well.

Roy sighed heavily as he straightened himself up, running a hand through his hair. His own stomach growled in anticipation for that lunch, and Roy pushed aside his worried thoughts. At least for the moment.

* * *

"Do you even know where this restaurant is?"

"Leopold gave me instructions." Roy glanced at him. "Don't complain right now."

"I wasn't going to!" Ed insisted, huffing. "So did the Lieutenant say anything?"

Roy kept his eyes on the road. "Nothing particularly important." He answered. "She offered to send back-up. I declined, for now at least."

He could feel Ed's eyes on him. "Do you think we'll need back-up at some point?"

"Well you never know." Roy said. Edward was silent after that, and Mustang was grateful for it. He could feel a headache beginning to form. Silence filled the car, save for the occasional click of the gears in Ed's arm as he shifted. The buildings around them thinned out significantly, shops morphing into older buildings. The road narrowed, and became slightly uneven. The crowds disappeared, leaving Roy with an uneasy feeling. It was unnervingly quiet.

"Jeez, this restaurant is in a strange spot." Roy muttered. "I suppose, though, it's a good idea to get away from the crowds."

"Uh, Mustang?"

"Or maybe he just gave us a wrong turn."

"Colonel!"

"What?" Roy turned to his subordinate, who was twisted in his seat to look behind them. Roy glanced in the rearview mirror to see another car behind them, slowly gaining on them. The uneasy feeling intensified, even though it could've just been a random car.

Roy took the next turn he saw. The car turned too. Roy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "We're being followed."

"Yeah, no shit." Ed said. "We can take them."

"Do I need to remind you that we are supposed to be going about this mission covertly? And we're undercover. No one knows we're military."

"That doesn't seem to matter." Edward snapped. "They're getting closer."

Roy yanked the wheel suddenly and the car skidded around a corner. "Hang on!" He said as Ed nearly hit his head on the window.

"Tell me that before!"

Mustang ignored Ed for now, keeping his eyes on the road and the car behind them. The other car sped up, matching their speed. Then, steadily, the other car crept closer, slowly but surely gaining up on them. Roy's lips pressed together grimly.

 _Wonderful._

"Edward, are you wearing your seatbelt?" He asked, onyx eyes glued to the rearview mirror.

"Uh." The teenager scrambled to tug on his seatbelt. "Yeah." The boy was tense, his gold eyes blazing. "We're gonna be in a car chase, aren't we?"

"Looks like it."

Ed grinned crookedly. "Awesome."

Roy wished the boy would have a better sense of self-preservation. He floored it, and the car jerked forward with a screech of tires. Beside him, Ed gripped the door handle tightly as they skidded around a corner. Roy hadn't done anything like this is some time, and was proud that he seemed to remember how to do it. He could feel the tires spinning for a moment under the car and gritted his teeth as he fought to keep control of the vehicle.

"Are they still on us?" Roy asked, spinning the wheel and forcing a _very_ sharp turn. He very much hoped to finish this quickly. His gloves were in his pocket, but he'd rather avoid exposing himself with Flame Alchemy at the moment. He knew Ed was just itching to use his own alchemy, but that too was out of the question.

Edward twisted back again to look outside. "Yeah, they're seriously right on us." The younger alchemist flopped back and looked around. "We gotta get some cover."

"There are buildings all around us, Fullmetal, but this car isn't going to fit in any alleyways or other hiding spots." Roy answered. "If we can get ahead of them enough, we can jump out and take cover, then ambush them. But first we've got to get ahead."

"… _Colonel_."

There was something in Ed's tone that absolutely required Roy's attention. So Roy glanced in the rearview mirror and swore loudly as he saw a gun being aimed out of the window of the car behind them.

"Oh, shit!" He swerved the car violently, attempting to dodge the bullets as the gun fired not once but three times. There was a loud popping sound before the car swung in a wide circle, out of control. A bullet must have hit one of the tires, Roy realized as the car skidded and slid along the pavement. Roy's eyes widened a split second before they toppled off the road, the car sliding down a small dipping hill before the front rammed right into a pole. Roy felt himself jerk forward, grunting as the steering wheel rammed into his stomach. He winced, quickly looking to Edward.

"Fullmetal, you okay?" He barked, fighting to get his seatbelt off quickly. A glance back up the hill told him that the other car was stopped at the top. They needed to move, now. "Hey, Ed!"

"Gah…" Edward peeled himself off the dashboard. "Ouch." He groaned, rubbing his head where he must have banged it. Roy didn't see any injuries on the boy, although he was sure both of them were at least bruised a bit. Thankfully it wasn't a big crash, or they'd be really screwed.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked, pushing on his door, which seemed to be a little jammed. He shoved against it, glad that it finally opened. "We need to move."

"M'fine." Ed mumbled, scrambling out of his door. Roy nodded and motioned for him to follow. He led the way into twisting alleys and backstreets, moving quickly. They must've been much closer to the very edge of town than he'd thought, as there were no people around. They looped around in a wide arc, coming back to the same road only a few minutes later.

Panting, Roy glanced around. The other car was gone, as well. "Looks like they left."

"Yeah." Ed turned to look at him, breathing not quite as heavily. "Do you think it was the killer?"

"It must've been." Roy replied, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe… they don't know who we are after all. It's entirely possible that the killer just saw us this morning and worried that we'd seen them or something."

"But why would he run off?"

Roy shrugged. "Intimidation only? Thought we died? I don't know." Mustang sighed, finally starting to breathe properly again. "We should go. I'd really rather not hang around here. The restaurant shouldn't be too far. We'll walk the rest of the way, and tell Leopold what happened."

"We're still going?" Edward asked, trailing behind his superior. "After that? I thought you'd want to go back to the hotel room and call Hawkeye."

Roy cast a glare behind him. "We'll tell _your mother_ about the accident tonight."

Ed scowled fiercely. "It's not like there's anyone around." He grumbled.

Roy ignored him. "We're already close to the restaurant anyways. We'll eat, since we're both hungry, and discuss things with Leopold. Unless you would rather not eat?"

"No, I'm fine with it, I just thought _you_ –"

"Good, then shut up and follow."

* * *

When the pair staggered into the restaurant, it didn't take much for them to get noticed by Leopold. Ed's hair was coming out of it's braid quite disastrously and Roy's own hair, he noticed ruefully, looked more like a bird's nest. With forced nonchalance, he patted some of it down, and tugged Ed's hair tie from his gold strands. Edward snatched the tie back with another scowl, immediately fixing it back into his braid.

Leopold waved them over, and they settled into a table in the corner, food already waiting. He had picked a large restaurant for them to eat in. Despite it's size, there weren't a lot of people there, which Roy supposed was good for them.

"What happened to you two?" Leopold asked, looking them over.

"We got attacked." Ed said.

"Edward." Roy cut him off with a stern look. Facing the other man, he sighed. "Although yes, we did. We were driving, and then another car chased us. Shot a tire, and we crashed. Nothing too bad."

Leopold frowned. "Where's your car now?"

"Still where we crashed." Roy sighed. "We'll walk to the hotel room after this. If you could arrange for us to get a rental for now, that would be fantastic."

"Of course." Leopold answer. "What did the other car look like?"

"Blue. Like a dark blue." Ed answered, eyeing his food the way a predator eyes its prey. It was unsettling to see, to say the least.

"We don't know much else." Mustang admitted. "They ran off. Hopefully it was just an intimidation attempt."

"Hopefully." Leopold said quietly, eyes downcast.

"I called Elizabeth back in our room." Roy said as he poked at his own noodles. "Let her know what's been going on, and all. She's heard about the murders around here, so she was a bit worried."

"Is she sending a defense squad for you and Edward?" Leopold asked jokingly, although Roy knew it was an honest question. "I need to be prepared if a battalion is coming."

Roy forced a believable laugh for those within earshot. "Ah, no. I told her we could handle ourselves, right Ed?"

The blonde grunted as he slurped up more noodles. The boy hadn't taken his eyes off his food since they sat down, which Roy found both amusing and concerning.

Mustang turned back to the other man, serious again. "What happened after Ed and I left this morning?"

Leopold chewed his food and swallowed. "Well, the police came. Took the body. I was able to talk to a few officers I know. The girl was the daughter of some former military officer." He leaned closer, his voice dropping lower. "Apparently all of the victims were either friends or family to military personnel."

Roy's eyebrows rose. "So, we're dealing with some kind of anti-military killer?"

"If it's anti-military, there's a chance that there's more than one." Ed supplied helpfully, voice muffled by his food.

Roy nodded, thinking. "Why go after friends and family instead of military officers themselves? Is it some kind of way of tormenting the officers? Kill the ones they love to make them suffer?"

Leopold shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Are you in danger?"

"What?"

"Are you in danger?" Roy repeated. "It's no secret that you have military ties. Even if you aren't technically military, you've helped before. Would you be a target? If so, then Edward and myself need to be on guard. The killer – or killers – are taking friends and family. Ed and I are posing as your friends here."

Ed made a sound, drawing both men's attention. "The killer might go after your friend Annie." He said around a mouthful of noodles before he swallowed. "It's not exactly subtle, you and her."

"Annie and I are just friends." Leopold said.

"I've heard _that_ before." Ed muttered, giving Roy a sidelong look. "Trust me, I know those looks." Roy's eyes narrowed on the boy, confusion mixing with irritation.

"…Regardless." Roy went on, tearing his gaze from the small blond. "Maybe we should drop by Annie's home and warn her. Just in case."

Leopold shook his head. "I'll do it. She's very sick still." Roy noticed genuine worry reflected in the other man's eyes.

"What is she ill with?" Roy asked conversationally, slapping Ed's wrist lightly as he tried to take some food from Roy's plate.

"Oh, just a fever. But it's pretty high, and she isn't really up to seeing people. I'll let her know." Leopold assured him.

Mustang's fingers tapped on the table absently. "Okay. In the meantime, I think Ed and I will head back to the hotel room and wash up." He said, reaching up and brushing some dust from his subordinate's hair. "We ran through some alleys on the edge of town. Apparently that was enough to get us filthy."

Leopold laughed loudly. "Right. Well you two, I'm off." He said, standing.

"Wait." Roy pushed Leopold's leftovers towards him. "Take this to Annie. And let her know we send our regards."

Leopold nodded silently, taking the box. "Of course. I'll see you two later." He said, and was gone.

Ed swallowed whatever he had in his mouth. "I like him." He declared, reaching towards Roy's plate again.

"Mm. Yes, he's a kind man." Mustang replied, pulling his plate away from the boy's searching fingers. "Keep your hands off my food, Full – Ed. You have your own."

"I finished mine."

"You don't need this." Roy said. "Your body's too small to take in that much food, I'm sure."

Edward's automail foot slammed into Roy's shin hard enough to bruise. He bared his teeth at the older man. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL A SINGLE GRAIN OF RICE WOULD FILL HIM UP?"

"Hell, Edward, keep it down. We're in public. Don't act like a little kid." Roy didn't even try to keep his smirk off his face.

" _DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!_ " Ed screeched.

Roy bit his tongue to keep from laughing outright. Chuckling slightly, he reached out and ruffled Ed's hair despite the teenager's protests.

* * *

Roy paced the room softly, glancing towards the bathroom when he heard the shower turn on. His own damp hair stuck to his forehead as he walked the length of the room.

Motives. The killer must have motives. Of course, Roy knew that sometimes, there wasn't a motive, and it was just the work of someone crazy and angry enough to kill. This didn't seem like that.

All victims were friends and family of military personnel. Roy turned that thought over in his mind. It really did sound like an anti-military group. He needed to know the names of all of the victims, and find out who in the military they had ties with.

His head snapped up at the sound of a loud crash and swearing in the bathroom as Ed dropped something or slipped. He sighed, settling down on the edge of his bed.

If it was an anti-military group, then he and Ed needed to be absolutely sure that they kept up the charade of civilian father and son. It was imperative now. Roy's main concern for their own safety was their connections with Leopold. The man had military ties, despite not actually being military, and if the killer knew about it then all three of them – _four, if we count Annie_ , Roy reminded himself – were possibly in danger.

The shower turned off, and Roy sat straight, composing himself and wiping the worry off his face. No need to give Ed any unnecessary concern. That brat had enough to worry about.

Light and steam spilled from the bathroom as the door opened. Edward stood there, hands on his hips and a towel around his shoulders, golden hair loose and dripping around the boy's face.

"Dry off more, would you Fullmetal?" Mustang sighed. "You'll get the carpet wet. And you'll rust. Did your brother tell you to take care of your automail?"

"Ah, it's fine." Ed waved him off. "I won't rust. I'm in tip-top shape." He punched the air like it proved something. The short blond flopped onto the couch with a loud groan. "I'm exhausted." He complained. "Can I just… sleep the rest of the day?"

"We only just had lunch." Roy pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Although he had a point. Roy felt tired too, his energy slowly ebbing away with every passing minute, accentuated by the return of his earlier headache.

"That was an hour ago." Ed muttered. "Whatever, Colonel Bastard, I'm going to sleep."

Roy heaved a sigh and watched the kid kick his feet up onto the couch and roll over. "You'll get a cramp in your neck on the couch." He said, and received no answer for his warning. Another sigh escaped him, and he shifted so that he sat with his back on the headboard of his bed, grabbing the book on the bedside table. He only lasted a few minutes, though, before his own tiredness finally began to take hold. He yawned widely, stretching his legs out more on the mattress.

Roy looked over at Ed, who slept peacefully – albeit uncomfortably – on the couch. Mustang's neck ached just looking at him. He huffed as he stood, padding quietly to the sleeping teen.

"Ed." He whispered. "You're gonna get a cramp."

Ed didn't respond at all, and Roy rolled his eyes. He should just leave him there, let him learn from this experience. But he bent and carefully lifted the boy bridal style, tucking him close.

Roy nearly buckled under the sudden weight, and he bit his tongue to keep from swearing loudly. He'd forgotten that despite his size, Ed's automail made him heavy. He struggled, but managed to get Edward on top of his bed. Roy wrestled with the blankets, managing to yank them over him.

With yet another sigh, he made his way back to his own bed, He'd just read a little bit more while Ed napped, and try to ease his growing headache. Later the two of them could go get some dinner.

Tomorrow Roy would go see if he could talk to the local police about this.

* * *

 **A/N:** _So I realized that I switch a little between calling Roy "Roy" and "Mustang". Does this bother anybody? I usually just go with "Roy", but sometimes "Mustang" comes out. Also UGH I hope I wrote Roy's point of view okay. This took me much longer to update than I wanted, since I kept scrapping it and starting over. I finished this at 4am and I completely forgot to post it, but here it is. Please review, and thanks for reading!_


	4. Crescendo

Ed's eyes opened blearily, blinking in the fading light. The first thing he realized was that he wasn't where he'd fallen asleep. Instead of a semi-comfortable couch, he was on the bed. Which meant the idiot colonel must've carried him to bed like a little kid.

The second thing he realized was that there were grunts and mumbles coming from the bed beside him, which was probably the cause of him waking. Edward sat up sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He squinted at the dim outline of Mustang on the bed, shuffling around. There was a book on the floor next to the bed, left open and pages bent.

"Colonel?" Ed whispered into the dark room. "Colonel, are you awake?"

He didn't get an answer, but Roy groaned lowly, fighting his blankets with renewed vigor. His mumbles increased in volume.

"No… kill me instead… please…" The older man was muttering frantically, hands groping thin air as his eyes darted wildly behind closed lids. "Leave them alone… kill me…"

With a start, Ed realized the man was having a nightmare. Was it about Ishval? He pushed the blankets off of himself and got up cautiously, watching Roy toss about. He stood uncertainly by the bedside, fiddling with the hem of his shirt and chewing his bottom lip.

The man went still for a brief moment before launching into desperate flailing, his face scrunched up against some unseen agony. Hurriedly, Ed reached out and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him roughly.

"Colonel? Hey, Colonel!" He didn't dare raise his voice too high, for fear of someone hearing him call out the rank. "Wake up!"

Roy's eyes flew open and his fist smashed into Ed's face. Pain flared up as he staggered back, clutching his now bleeding nose.

Through the pain he saw Mustang blink and realization dawn on him. "Oh, shit." Roy breathed. "Shit, Ed, I'm sorry. Fuck, I didn't mean to hit you."

A flash of irritation spiked up in Edward, but faded just as fast as it came. His superior looked like a mess, his breathing ragged and eyes wild with both fear and guilt.

"It's okay." Ed said after a second, holding his nose. "I startled you." He turned and walked to the bathroom, flicking on the light as he grabbed some tissues. He held the wad to his face, trying to stem the blood flow. After a few moments, Roy appeared in the doorway, looking a bit more awake.

"Let me see." He said, stepping up to Ed, who backed up a bit and shook his head.

"It's fine."

"It might be broken. Let me see." Something in the man's tone made Ed look at him again. There was… a need in his eyes. Like he needed to see for himself that Ed was okay. The boy wondered about the nightmare, and what could've made the man so unsettled and _afraid_.

Ed relented, and allowed Roy to take hold of his chin and tilt his head up. Dark eyes skimmed over the damage and he nodded. "It isn't broken, but that's gonna leave a bruise."

"Yeah, no kidding." Edward pulled back and pressed more tissues to his face. He walked out of the bathroom and settled on the couch. A few seconds later and Roy sat beside him silently. Gold eyes flashed up to his commanding officer. "What… what was the dream?"

Mustang didn't reply to the question for a moment. "Don't push on it too hard or it'll bruise worse." He said, sighing heavily. "It… I dream, sometimes, about Ishval. It's to be expected, really. I just… sorry, Ed, I didn't mean to wake you, and definitely not to hit you."

"I had a nightmare too, last night, remember?" Ed reminded him. Mustang didn't answer, and Ed's eyes wandered to the clock. "It's seven now. We slept through dinner." He commented.

"Are you hungry?" Roy murmured, and Ed was more than a little startled at the note of gentleness and _care_ in his tone.

The boy shook his head. "Nah, it's fine."

But the older man was already going into his bag. "I have a few snacks that I grabbed earlier, just in case. You should at least eat something."

Ed caught the apple Roy had tossed at him and sat back, scooting over as Mustang collapsed beside him with a heavy sigh. The man ran a hand through his hair, and Edward noted how his entire form seemed to sag. Like he was trying to crumple inwards, and disappear entirely.

Ed bit into the fruit thoughtfully, moving so that he sat cross-legged. "Do… do you maybe want to talk about it? You said it was Ishval."

Surprised eyes met his own, and Ed shifted his weight somewhat uncomfortably.

"…I dreamed of Ishval." Roy said finally. His voice was soft, as if he didn't dare disturb the quiet of the evening. "But not just Ishval. I dreamed… that I hurt people. Not just the Ishvalans, but people that I knew, people I love. I watched from outside my body, and at first… I didn't even realize it was me. I hurt Hughes, and Hawkeye… the rest of my team… You and your brother."

Ed tilted his head at the mention of him and Al. He'd never really considered that Mustang might actually care. He knew, to an extent, but had never truly thought about it. Certainly he didn't think it was enough for the man to have nightmares over them being hurt.

When the teen didn't speak, Roy continued. "I… I watched myself kill you, Ed. I saw myself burning you, and you were pleading – begging – for me to stop." His hands were trembling, now, and Ed thought that if Roy's fists were any tighter he would break his own fingers.

"But you didn't." Ed pointed out. He shuddered at the thought of being burned to death, but he swallowed hard. "Colonel? You didn't… really hurt me. Or Hughes, or the Lieutenant."

Mustang looked at him, and Edward was taken aback at the look in his eyes. It was dark – _haunted_ – and, Ed realized, probably how he himself looked after a bad nightmare.

"I didn't, except I punched you." Roy pointed out.

Ed couldn't hold back his exasperated groan. "I already told you, Colonel Idiot. You didn't mean to do that, it was an accident."

"I still punched you."

"Yeah? Would you feel better if I punched you back?"

Silence answered him, and Ed took another bite. Honestly, most of the time he didn't understand Mustang. He thought he had a decent grip on the man, sure, but when it came down to it… he barely knew a thing about the man's own demons, or about how the man really saw the Elric brothers. He could be a bastard all day long, taking every opportunity to tease Ed mercilessly. But then he could turn right around and make sure Ed was eating, or make sure Ed wasn't injured.

Well, if there was one thing he was certain about, it was that Roy cared deeply for his subordinates.

The clock counted the seconds as they passed, and they didn't speak again.

* * *

Ed's eyes opened again, straining to see in the darkness. His pillow was firmer than he remembered, and… it was breathing?

He glanced down and realized that he and the Colonel had fallen asleep slumped on the couch, with Ed propped against the man's side. The boy's face flushed with embarrassment and he thanked the stars that Roy didn't notice.

Then he realized what had woken him.

It was a tingling feeling, deep down in his gut. A low, burning warning that something was wrong, that someone was there. Ed sat up further, scanning the darkness warily. His ears struggled to hear anything, any sound.

Nothing.

Ed elbowed Mustang sharply in the ribs, causing the man to cough and sit up with a grunt.

"…The hell, Fullmetal?" He mumbled. Ed was very still, and Roy seemed to catch on quick. "What is it?" He asked in a low voice.

"Something's wrong." Ed whispered. He knew this feeling. He had it sometimes when he was out with Al, on a mission, when they were being watched. It was an instinct, and Edward knew that it couldn't be wrong.

He stood carefully, and Roy followed suit. The boy moved towards the window and carefully peeled back the edge of the curtains. Golden eyes scanned the building across the way, then the street below. A figure stood across the street, under the dim glow of the street lamps. The figure was looking up, seemingly right at their window, and Ed couldn't help the small shiver that ran down his back.

"Colonel." He hissed. "There's someone down there."

Roy joined him at the window, very carefully pulling back part of the curtain. As he did, the figure turned away and began to walk down the road.

"He's getting away!" Ed said in a gasp, and whirled around, running to the door.

"Ed, wait!"

He ignored his commanding officer and dashed out into the hall, skidding down the stairs and around corners until he burst through the front door. He saw the figure glance back at the loud slam of doors and start to run.

"Hey!" Ed shouted, sprinting after him. "Stop!" He chased the figure, bare feet thudding on the pavement. His metal foot clinked noisily while his flesh foot scratched against small rocks. They whipped around a corner and Ed collided head on with someone else.

"Edward?" Leopold asked, confused.

Ed grumbled as looked past the man, and cursed as he saw a car speed away. "Who ran by here?" He demanded.

"Just some guy." Leopold answered, confusion still clear on his face. "I didn't see him. What's going on?"

"You let him get away?!"

"Let _who_ get away?"

" _EDWARD!_ " Roy came charging towards them, shirt un-tucked and disheveled. He halted just short of crashing into them. "What in the world do you think you're doing?!"

"Going after the guy! I might've caught him but I ran into Leopold! And he let the guy run right past him!"

"What guy?" Leopold asked again in exasperation.

"Relax, he didn't know Ed." Roy replied, one hand out and placating.

"I know that! I just – ARGH!" Ed's grabbed at his hair in frustration, ruining his meticulous braid. "I want this mission to be over already." He didn't want other people to get hurt, and he wanted to get back to Al. Belatedly, Ed realized his right foot was stinging. He stood on one foot and took a quick look, hopping to keep his balance. Small scrapes littered the skin there and he scowled.

"Okay, _what_ is going on?" Leopold said loudly. Both alchemists looked at him, and Ed scratched at his head.

"I woke up, saw a guy watching our window outside, and got into a chase. I crashed into you and guy got away." Ed growled out.

Leopold rubbed at his neck. "Oh, well… my place is right over there if you'd like to discuss this. It's safer than talking about it at a hotel or on the street."

Ed opened his mouth but Roy cut him off before he could speak. "Thank you, Leopold. We'll make this discussion as quick as possible."

Leopold nodded, leading them across the street. "It's no problem. Sorry that I interfered, Edward." He tossed the last comment back towards Ed.

The blonde scowled, and Roy sent him a sharp glare. Sullenly, he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, whatever, it's fine. You didn't know anyway." Leopold's house was surprisingly close to the hotel, and it only took a couple of minutes before the man was fumbling with his keys to unlock his door.

"How's your nose, kid?" Roy asked softly, standing behind Leopold at Edward's side. Ed glanced up at him.

"S'fine." He mumbled. "Doesn't hurt anymore." A small lie, and Ed resisted the urge to rub at the dull soreness he felt. Roy didn't say anything, just reached out and ruffled Ed's hair, further destroying his already-messy braid.

"What happened to your nose?" Leopold asked as he shoved the door open.

"I clocked him in the face." Roy stated simply.

"Colonel Spastic clocked me _accidentally_ in the face." Ed corrected.

"Oh." Was all Leopold could say. He showed them inside and into the kitchen, and Ed hopped up on the counter while the man rummaged through his cabinets.

"What're you looking for?" Ed asked as Roy frowned at him and gestured for him to get off the counter. Ed ignored him.

"A first-aid kit." Leopold answered cheerily. "You scraped up your foot, so I figured I had some Band-Aids around here somewhere."

"It's appreciated, Leopold." Mustang said smoothly, sitting in a chair with a pointed look at Ed. "Now, did you happen to see the person when they ran by?"

Leopold tossed Edward a few Band-Aids. "Not really. Male, average height. It's dark out, and I wasn't really paying attention."

Roy sighed. "Well, we can't blame you." He ran his hands through his dark hair, puffing out his cheeks as he exhaled heavily. "If that was our mystery killer – which, obviously it probably was – then what was he doing? Why was he just standing outside our window?"

"Watching us, obviously." Ed supplied, pressing a Band-Aid to his foot. He grimaced at the discomfort, and at the thought of them being watched.

"But _why_?" Roy pressed. "How would he even know where we're staying?"

"You said earlier that the killer was targeting friends and family of military guys." Ed shrugged, pointing at Leopold. "You're supposedly old friends with this guy, so the killer's just doing what he does. Stalking his victims." Edward suppressed a slight shudder. He and Al have dealt with many things, but he never liked being followed. There was something especially creepy about stalkers. The Colonel was likely the next target, and Ed hated that thought. What was he supposed to do if Mustang got kidnapped?

"Colonel, what if he goes after you?" Ed asked, interrupting whatever Roy had been saying to Leopold.

Roy looked at him. "What do you mean? He won't catch me, first of all. And on the off chance that he does, I'll be relying on you to get me out." He smirked, leaning back in his chair nonchalantly. "I'm sure you could do it."

"Well, yeah." Ed said, his teeth bared in a taunting grin. "I _could_ , but will I? That's the real question here."

"Shut up, brat." Roy rolled his eyes. "This isn't the time for jokes." Still, Ed was pleased that the mood was slightly less tense now.

Roy and Leopold went back to talking about a new hotel for them to stay at, and Ed yawned and let his attention drift. His eyes followed the line of clutter on Leopold's counters – the man was surprisingly messy, it seemed. There were books, plates, papers, and… the takeout from earlier? The box of leftovers was opened and half-eaten, a fork still haphazardly shoved in it.

"Hey, Leopold." Edward butted into their conversation once again. He pointed. "You didn't give it to Annie?"

Leopold followed his finger with his eyes and his mouth formed a silent 'oh'. "I tried, but she told me that she wasn't feeling well enough to eat."

Ed frowned. "She's gotta have a hell of a fever, is someone there to help take care of her?"

"I check in on her most days. She lives alone." Leopold mused. "She's a sweet woman, Annie, and a hard-worker. She manages on her own, but I like to pop in. Especially like now, when she's ill."

Roy nodded. "Send my regards to her, next time you visit." He stood. "Tomorrow Ed and I will move to that other hotel you just told me about. It's too late tonight, but I'm sure our culprit won't try anything else for now."

Edward yawned again and scowled. "Hey, Colonel Jackass, can we go? I'm tired still." He shuffled on his feet, the kitchen tiles cold on his bare foot.

"We're going." Roy promised. "Thanks again, Leopold. I'll call you in the morning, after Ed and I make our hotel switch."

The other man nodded, a large smile in place. "Of course. You two be careful, alright?"

Both alchemists nodded, and Ed raised his hand in a wave. "Bye, Leopold." He called as he followed Mustang out. Almost as soon as the door shut, Roy glared down at Ed.

"What?" Edward asked, squinting at him.

"What were you thinking, running after him? You could've been hurt, and you could've blown our cover." Roy's voice was stern and quiet, practically hissing the words. Ed gritted his teeth together and avoided his gaze. He fidgeted as he walked. He wanted to argue, wanted to tell Mustang that he could've caught the guy and the mission would be done. But as much as he hated to admit it, Roy was right. There was a chance that the man could've been armed, and what civilian teenager goes charging after potential stalkers anyway?

"Sorry." He bit out. "I… I didn't think. Like, at all. I just really wanted to catch him."

Roy looked slightly taken aback at how easily Ed was cooperating. "…Well, I'm glad you understand. Don't do that again – think next time. You have a tendency to sometimes make incredibly brash and reckless decisions."

"Yeah, yeah, I _know_." Ed grumbled. "I already said sorry."

"Hopefully he doesn't get suspicious." The Colonel murmured. Louder, he nudged Ed into a faster pace. "C'mon, let's get back and get some real sleep. On the beds, this time."

"Race you!" Ed blurted out and took off, the Band-Aids threatening to come flying off. He grinned to himself when he heard Roy's running footsteps instead of the expected scolding words. He nearly laughed, but he couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness that had been growing in him since he'd woken. Even now, racing his superior officer to their hotel room, Ed's eyes flew from shadow to shadow, keeping watch. He was sure Mustang was doing the same.

* * *

Ed shoved nearly half the bagel into his mouth in one go, cramming it in ravenously. He was _starving_ , and of course Roy had insisted on switching hotels before anything else this morning.

The aforementioned Colonel was watching Ed eat with something akin to fear in his eyes.

"Are you _breathing_?" Roy asked, his own muffin untouched in front of him as he watched his young subordinate scarf down his breakfast.

"Mm hm." Ed hummed in response. "S'not my fault you wouldn't let me eat earlier." He said around his food. He swallowed roughly and moved on to his eggs. They had moved to a hotel on the other side of town, and had to call Hawkeye to let her know about the move. She hadn't been happy to hear of their suspected stalker.

"And you promised I could talk to Al after breakfast." Edward added, shoveling the scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"You have to survive breakfast first." Mustang snorted, finally picking up his muffin. "Please don't be an animal. Chew."

"I am!" Ed insisted. He swallowed hard and pushed his plate away. "Can I run up to the room and call now?"

"Fine, but later I want to talk to the local police about all this." Mustang said.

Ed snorted. "Okay, but will they let you?" He didn't give Roy much of a chance to respond, already skipping out the door and rushing to the room. As it so happens, the phone was ringing when he opened the door.

Edward hurriedly picked it up, pressing the cold receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

A crackle on the other end, and then a tinny voice echoed out. "Brother?"

"Al!" Ed grinned widely. "Great! I was just about to call to check up on you! How are things?"

"Things are fine here. Normal. Havoc almost lit his desk on fire." Alphonse giggled a little. "I thought Lieutenant Hawkeye was actually going to shoot him for that one."

"Nice, wish I'd been there." Edward huffed a little.

"What about you? Have you been taking care of your automail? Are you and the Colonel okay?"

"Automail's fine, I wouldn't risk Winry's wrath. And we're good. Colonel's a jerk as always."

"Brother!"

"Relax, you know I'm only half-joking." Ed sat on the bed and pulled his hair from its braid. "Seriously though, we're okay."

"How's the case?"

Ed chewed on his lip. _A girl died. Someone was watching us and I'm actually pretty worried that the Colonel will be taken._ "Ah, not much. Nothing for you to worry too much about."

"The Lieutenant said you moved hotels." Al's voice was timid, cautious. His brother was probably worried sick.

"Yeah." The older Elric scratched at his cheek. "We… we saw someone watching our hotel room last night, so we moved just in case. It's fine."

"Brother! That's not fine!" Al's voice had increased in volume. "What if you or the Colonel get hurt!?"

"Aaaal." Ed drew out his brother's name in fond exasperation. "Don't worry too much. We'll be good. And if something does happen, then Hawkeye can send backup and we'll bust some heads."

A moment of silence. And then Alphonse spoke again, his voice downtrodden. "I wish they'd let me come with you. I miss you, Brother." Ed could practically see the cloud of gloom over the giant suit of armor.

"I miss you too, Al. But you know you'd never pass unnoticed here." Ed reminded him gently. "At least I know you're safe in Central, okay? I'll be back soon."

"Okay." The younger brother said. A voice spoke in the background, and Ed heard some shuffling before Alphonse spoke again. "Lieutenant Hawkeye apologizes, but she says she needs the phone. Call me later today."

"Will do, Al – no cats in the dorm while I'm gone, remember!"

"Okay Brother!" Al said in a suspiciously innocent tone. Ed pressed his lips together and made a mental note to do a fur-sweep when he got back. "Bye Ed!"

"Bye Al!" Ed hung up and flopped backwards onto the bed, sighing heavily. He had only been lying there for a minute when someone knocked at the door. Ed sat up quickly, watching the door somewhat warily. He crept over and readied himself before opening it.

Leopold stood before him, a friendly smile in place. "Oh, good morning Edward." He beamed. "I was on my way to go see the scene of the crime from the other day, and I thought maybe you and your father would want to come." The man glanced to the side and Ed took note of a group of people chatting in the hall that signified emphasis on their cover.

"Well, Dad's still down there eating. I'll leave him a note and you and I can go." Ed said, popping the joint in his arm as he stretched his arms in front of him. "He can catch up."

Leopold nodded, and waited patiently while Ed scribbled out a note that said exactly what time he was leaving, who he was with, and where they were going. He knew that at least this time around Roy would be pissed if he wasn't given specifics.

"Okay, all set." Ed said, grabbing his hair tie and quickly braiding his loose hair. He followed Leopold out and into the warm late morning air.

The streets were fairly crowded today, and Ed was mainly at ease. Leopold was easy to talk to, and Ed found himself sincerely liking the man. They talked about trivial things mostly, the walk passing quickly and soon Ed noticed the gravel under his feet as they neared the same spot. The crowds had thinned out and were now non-existent, and Ed could hear the river again.

"How are you liking Clearlake?" Leopold asked as they walked. Ed kicked at a rock.

"You mean besides the whole murderer thing? It's alright." Ed shrugged. "I haven't really had time to form an opinion on the town itself."

Leopold lowered his voice. "When this is all over, Ed, maybe you and Roy can come back down to visit and I'll show you the better side of Clearlake."

Ed grinned. "Sure. Bring along Annie, too, I think I'd like to meet her again." A bird suddenly took flight off to his left, and there was a prickle on the back of Ed's neck.

Leopold gave him a quick smile. "Yes." He said softly. "Annie would love that, I'm sure."

Edward frowned. "Is… is she not doing too good?" The uneasy feeling was back again, the same tingling sensation he got on missions with Al, and last night.

Leopold shook his head. "Sorry. I just feel bad for her, since she's so sick. She really does mean a lot to me."

"Good friends?" Ed said with a somewhat forced smile. His instincts were squirming, yelling for him to get away from here.

"Very." Leopold admitted. "In fact, I had plans before all of this to ask her out. Do you think I should?"

"I say go for it." Ed nodded. "Nothing's stopping you." His volume dropped and he hissed. "I think we're being followed." Leopold visibly tensed at this. "Don't turn around yet. Just keep walking." Of course this would happen, and of course only once they were far from crowds too.

They kept walking, and Ed was now certain that if he were to turn, he would see another person _somewhere_ behind them. The gravel gave way to smooth pavement as they moved closer to the populated part of town, detouring from their original destination.

Suddenly Ed felt with absolute certainty that he had to turn around this very second. He jerked to a stop, surprising Leopold, and whipped around.

His eyes looked straight down the barrel of a handgun. He barely had time to draw a sharp breath before there was another sound behind him and pain exploded on the back of his head. Ed hit the ground hard, and his vision faded quickly to black.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Sorry for the wait! Ah I hope I didn't rush this chapter. Explanation for chapter 3's title: A yellow/orange/green(ish) sky is a phenomenon that sometimes happens before a large storm. :) Reminder that I am on tumblr as luminescent-bat! Come interact with me! Thank you, and thank you for the reviews! As always, they are greatly appreciated and don't forget to leave more!_


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